Road Apples is the second studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released on February 19, 1991. The album contains the hit singles "Three Pistols", “Little Bones,” and “Twist My Arm." The album was a commercial success, being the first album by the band to hit No. 1 and achieving diamond certification in Canada.
Background Recording sessions were held at the Daniel Lanois' personal studio in New Orleans in September 1990 on the recommendation of Colin Cripps, at the time a member of the band Crash Vegas. He said that the studio had helped establish the mood for the album Red Earth.
The album would be the first in which all of the lyrics were written by vocalist Gord Downie. This was because Downie believed his vocal performances would be more authentic if he sang his own words.
Lyrics on the album contains references to many prominent figures, including Tom Thomson and Jacques Cousteau, as well as political situations in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The track “Fiddler's Green" was written for Gord Downie's young nephew, who died during the writing of the album. Because of the personal nature of the song, the Hip did not play it live often, but they played it regularly during their final tour."Dig out the Canadian music". By David Reed, Belleville Intelligencer, June 27, 2014
Title The name of the album is a Canadian slang term for horse droppings; with allusion to the fact that along the side of a road they can be found in shape and size of apples. The album's original working title was Saskadelphia, but this was rejected by the record label as likely to confuse listeners;"Tragically Hip has no identity problem". The Province, March 1, 1991. however, the title was later reused for a 2021 EP of previously unreleased rarities from the Road Apples sessions.Jane Stevenson, "The Tragically Hip's new album, Saskadelphia, 'feels like it's honouring' Gord Downie". Toronto Sun, May 20, 2021.
Commercial performance Road Apples sold 102,000 copies in its first ten days of release. It became the band's first album to reach in Canada. The album has been certified Diamond in Canada.
Legacy During the Hip's last tour, in 2016, songs from this album were played live on a regular basis, featuring the above-mentioned songs as well as ”Long Time Running”, “Last of the Unplucked Gems”, “The Luxury”, and “Fiddler's Green.”
A deluxe edition of the album was reissued in 2021 to mark its 30th anniversary. The reissue included a remastered version of the original album, the six-song Saskadelphia EP, a live concert performance recorded at the Roxy Theatre in 1991, and a disc of outtakes and demo versions of the album's songs.Tim Peacock, "The Tragically Hip Announce Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Road Apples’". UDiscoverMusic, September 16, 2021.
The Roxy Theatre live disc was also separately released as the live album Live at the Roxy in 2022.Alex Hudson, "The Tragically Hip Announce 'Live at the Roxy' Concert Album". Exclaim!, May 12, 2022.
Track listing
Personnel The Tragically Hip Gord Downie – lead vocals Bobby Baker – lead guitar Paul Langlois – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Gord Sinclair – bass guitar, backing vocals Johnny Fay – drums
Additional musicians Phil Jones – tambourine Benmont Tench – piano Malcolm Burn – accordion
Technical personnel Bruce Barris – recording, mixing Don Smith – mixing Scott Campbell – assistant engineer Ted Jensen – mastering
Certifications
References